The interior of the Caledon fulfillment centre. A petition began circulating late Tuesday night calling on the international delivery giant Amazon to ramp up safety measures at its Toronto-area fulfillment centres. MATTHEW STRADER TORSTAR / TORONTO STAR

Ottawa has hired online distribution giant Amazon to handle shipments of critical medical supplies across Canada — a move the union representing the country’s postal workers says will “put further strain on workers who are already not properly protected.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that the federal government has reached an agreement with Amazon Canada to manage the delivery of masks, face shields, gowns, ventilators and test kits to areas hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our government has signed an agreement with Amazon Canada to manage the distribution of this equipment to the provinces and territories,” Trudeau said in his daily news conference.

Trudeau did not offer details on the cost of the contract or why Amazon was tapped to take the lead on the operation instead of other providers, such as federal Crown corporation Canada Post.

However, the government said Amazon will use its national distribution network — which includes Canada Post, Purolator and other local delivery contractors — to ship supplies to provincial health authorities, hospitals, and other government agencies. The company will process and manage orders through its online Amazon Business store.

A spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand told iPolitics that the government is looking into expanding Canada Post and Puralator’s participation in the operation.

Press secretary Cecely Roy added that the arrangement would be at cost, meaning Amazon would not profit from the deal.

“It was both parties interested in delivering a solution for this,” she said.

Earlier this week, Trudeau had announced that Ottawa would spend $2 billion to purchase personal protective equipment in co-operation with the provinces and territories.

Agreements were also reached with several Canadian companies to produce medical supplies and equipment in Canada, as a global tug-of-war continues between countries hit hard by COVID-19 over the purchase of scarce medical supplies in the international market.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has oversight of all orders from provinces and territories to ensure supplies are distributed to areas where they are needed the most.

In a statment to iPolitics, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said while it was happy to see that personal protective equipment will reach medical workers, it has “serious concerns that the federal government is choosing to make a deal with a private-sector giant that has a track record of neglecting its workers’ health and safety.”

“Canada has a public sector company with a dedicated logistics workforce. The government’s decision will put further strain on workers who are already not properly protected,” said spokesperson Btihal Yaaqoubi.

“The protection of workers must be a priority for the federal government. The transfer of essential services to the private sector can and will be directly attributed to the erosion of health and safety, and worker rights.”

The Toronto Star reported last week that Amazon will double pay for Canadian warehouse employees working overtime until the beginning of May. The company has also provided a $2-an-hour wage boost to its Canadian workers. Before that, starting wages at Canadian fulfilment centres were around $17 an hour.

The Star had previously reported on Amazon warehouse workers’ concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

CEO Jeff Bezos’ company has been sharply criticized for its poor treatment of workers during the pandemic. Amazon recently fired a New York warehouse worker who organized a protest over the safety precautions taken by the firm to deal with the pandemic, prompting a rebuke from the state’s attorney general.

“We have an incredibly hard working team at Canada Post that handles national logistics every day — privatization can’t be the answer,” he said on Twitter. “At minimum, the government should make absolutely certain that workers are safe and are paid a living wage.”

Questions sent to Anand’s office about how the contract was struck with Amazon, and whether boosted protections for the company’s workers were included in the agreement, were not immediately returned.